Sonic Triumphant
by LeonardoLeads
Summary: Sequel to my story "Sonic Returns", movie universe. Dr. Robotnik and his new ally lure Sonic into a deadly trap, but the blue blur and his friends are ready for them. As Sonic and his new foe battle, will their mutual hatred for one another and desire for revenge, destroy them both?
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue: Meet the Echidnas**

**_Mobius, three weeks after Dr. robotnik's defeat on easter island;_**

Angel Island; a beautiful paradise, drifting high in the skies over Mobius. Also known as the floating island, this massive landmass is totally covered in tropical jungles, snowy mountain peaks, and magnificent ruins. Filled with all the rarest flora and fauna mobius had to offer, the island was the most beautiful home it's only sentient inhabitants, the Echidna tribe, could possibly ask for.

The paradise was not lost on the echidna's current guest, Dr. Ivo Robotnik. He, too, admired all the natural beauty and lush splendor, but not for the reasons the nature-loving tribe did. Looking at the beautiful waterfalls, he saw only a place to dump the toxic runoff from his engineering projects. When he looked at the green jungles and forests, Robotnik saw only raw materials to power his factories. The mad scientist spent his first few days on Angel Island in a hammock, enjoying the beautiful scenery that took centuries to grow, and he was already planning to rip in down in a matter of hours.

"Dr. Robotnik, would you care for another glass of clover juice?" The echidna serving girl asked, taking a glass of the serving tray, and handing it to him. "Or perhaps a fresh plate of kripnik?"

"No thank you, my dear." Dr. Robotnik took the drink, then waved her away dismissively. "I Believe I shall simply relax here for a few hours, until my audience with the chief."

The echidna woman curtsied, and walked away. Sipping his cold drink, Dr. Robotnik chuckled to himself over his fortunate luck. After his 'capture' by an echidna hunting party, the tribe's laws of hospitality had made sure he was treated well. Now, the chief and the royal family wanted an audience with the new stranger, and it was the mad scientist's perfect opportunity to weave his web of deceptive lies.

Since his arrival here, Dr. Robotnik had been doing as much research into the Echidnas as was possible. A tribal society highly similar to earth's Mayan civilization in culture, the Echidna clan were a group of proud honor-bound warriors. Once, they had lived on the surface of mobius with the other animal tribes. According to what the tribe's elders had told him, at the dawn of their civilizations their ancestors had found all eight of the chaos emeralds, including the master emerald. These gems allowed them to tap chaos 'magic' (psionic powers, Robotnik assumed), which they used to create a mighty empire, covering the landscape below in their step pyramid cities.

But one day, four thousand years ago, a royal chief named Pachacamac took control of their empire. A warmonger, he sought to 'abuse' the power of the emeralds, and wage unending war on the neighboring animal tribes. Pachacamac angered a great dragon (a chaos monster of some kind, Robotnik assumed), who attacked the echidna empire, slaying the chief and most of the echidnas, before being defeated by Pachacamac's daughter, Princess Tikal. The survivors of this great calamity scattered the seven regular emeralds to the far corners of the known worlds, burying them deep. The tribe's chaos mages then use the power of master emerald to rip their capital city out of the ground as part of a giant landmass, and lift it into the clouds. The descendants of the surviving echidnas have lived on Angel island for the four thousand years since that tragic event.

"Dr. Robotnik," One of the echidna servants called to him, bowing. "I am sorry to disturb you, but the chief is ready for your audience in the throne room."

Robotnik had just finished his kripnik (an echidna delicacy), when he was called to meet with the royal family. The mad scientist was led through the city of Marble Garden zone, towards a large Mayan-style palace, partially concealed by the overgrowth of the island's foliage. Seeing the amazement on Robotnik's face at the sight, one of the echidna guards escorting him said;

"Welcome, stranger..." The warrior said proudly. "... welcome to the hidden palace zone."

The mad scientist was escorted through the large halls of the palace, arriving in the rather large throne room. Upon the throne sat a red Echidna in a crown and royal regalia; Chief Pakal, if Robotnik was not mistaken. He was the descendant of the fallen Pachacamac, and seemed to have the same ambition of his ancestor. Beside him sat Queen Alucion, Pakal's wife and co-ruler. the orange furred echidna looked just as fierce as her warrior husband, but seemed to have a gentleness about her that Pakal apparently of them were obviously curious about Robotnik's sudden appearance in their domain, and were obviously curious about where this stranger had come from.

"Greetings, guest Robotnik." The chief raised his hand, as the mad scientist bowed to him. "We hope you have been treated well by our subjects during your stay."

After greetings were exchanged, Pakal and Alucion questioned Robotnik carefully. He explained everything, telling the story of his battles with Sonic and His friends, but carefully slanting the story so that he sounded like the hero, and they seemed like the villains. When he had finished, he received a knowing look from the two monarchs.

"So, you are a human from the planet earth." Pakal noted, as Robotnik finished his tale. "We have had contact with your species before. Our ancestors had diplomatic and trade relations with the people you call the ancient Maya."

"And we are intrigued by your encounters with the blue hedgehog." The queen continued. "We actually attempted to deal with the hedgehog's threat, when he was only a child."

The two royals went on to tell Robotnik the story of how years ago, they had sent a party of warriors to capture Sonic when he was a child. But the warriors got overzealous, losing the child, and murdering his owl guardian."

"Both of us regret what happened to Longclaw, we did not intend for her to die." Pakal muttered sadly. "The warriors who acted rashly and tried to kill the hedgehog and slew her, were dealt with most... _severely."_

"I can see that." Robotnik replied nervously, looking at the royal guards sharp, jade-toothed swords, perfect for executions. "But why were you after Sonic? To steal his power?"

"Nonsense, of what use to us is a hedgehog who can run abnormally fast?" Alucion replied, pointing to a mural on the wall behind the thrones. "The prophecy, depicted in that image, is the reason we sought to capture sonic."

Robotnik stared at the mural- a large stitched work showing what looked like Sonic fighting a large robot that resembled the mad scientist, for possession of the master emerald. The truth then dawned on Robotnik;

"_They believe the prophecy states Sonic is destined to steal the master emerald, and I will save it for them. That's why they didn't slay me on sight when I crashed here!" _Dr. Robotnik deduced. "_These superstitious, primitive fools! I shall turn their own superstition against them!" _

"Great chief, mighty queen..." He bowed to them again. "I wish to help you in your fight against this terrible hedgehog!" He held up a small holographic device, which projected a giant warp ring. "I shall create a giant portal to earth, powered by the master emerald, which shall transport the entire echidna army there! In this way, you may send a force to capture Sonic!"

"Oh noble Robotnik, chosen hero of the great prophecy, we know you are wise in magic-science." Queen Alucion stated. "You shall be permitted to build this device, so we may prevent Sonic the hedgehog's great evil from causing harm to the world!"

And so, for the next several months, Robotnik worked. He slowly crafted a large metal ring, filled with circuits and wires hooked up to the master emerald for power. While he worked, most of the island's inhabitants treated him as a savior. Even Knuckles, son of the chief and his queen, showed great respect for the mad scientist. A proud, strong echidna of honor, the tribal prince would often spend time around Robotnik as he worked, bragging of his warriors prowess. (probably because no one else in the echidna tribe would listen his vain boasts).

"Robotnik, do you know I have fought many fierce battles?" The echidna boasted. "Why, in one fight, I slew seven battle birds with one mighty punch!"

"Mmmm Hmmm." Robotnik replied absentmindedly, trying to ignore the arrogant young prince. He knew the youth was lying; the chief told him Knuckles had never ventured off the island. Still, Robotnik didn't doubt Knuckles was as tough as his empty boasting; The young prince had been born with a super-strength that could punch a hole through a mountain, as well as the ability to glide short distances. The echidnas said these were gifts passed to him by the master emerald, so that he could serve as it's guardian and protector. Some echidnas even said he could sense mystical artifacts buried in the ground, and use his echidna digging abilities to unearth them.

But there was one who didn't trust Robotnik or his actions, and always regarded him with suspicion. There were two other inhabitants on angel island who were not echidnas, guests of the royal family who actually lived on the surface. One of these was professor Vanilla Rabbit, an expert on ancient languages that the tribe had been invited on live on the island for a year. She was the only one who could translate the ancient Echidna language, an ability the tribe had lost over the centuries. Professor was a cream-colored rabbit with brown eyes, and wore a very conservative (almost Victorian) pink and purple dress and high heels. This tall and regal lady was far more beautiful than any human woman could ever hope to be, Robotnik mused (though he wasn't into that sort of thing when it came to Mobians). And her graceful presence was even enough to give the mad scientist pause.

"I do not trust you, Ivo Robtnik." She told him off to his face one day. "I believe the prophecy has been misread, and you are taking advantage of the echidna's good will!"

Even more unnerving was Vanilla's sickeningly cute little daughter, Cream the Rabbit. The little twerp was the same age as that annoying little fox sidekick of Sonic's, she was a smaller version of her mother, in a short vermilion dress. The echidnas believed she was another child 'gifted' with power by the chaos emeralds, given the freakish ability to fly with her ears, as well as some kind of healing abilities, he had been told. The adorable little puffball sickened Robotnik whenever she was around, and he did his best to avoid her whenever possible.

"Hey mister Robotnik. I picked you some pretty flowers." The annoying little mobian told him, in her high-pitched, innocent tone. "I thought it might help cheer you up."

"Go away, you little urchin." He growled at her, concentrating on some blueprints he was reading. "I have more important things to do."

Finally, after nearly a month of work, the great ring was ready. The entire echidna tribe had gathered, to see the war party off. (except for knuckles, who had sutbbornly gone off to hunt on his own, at Robotnik's insistence). As the chief and his queen stood ready to lead there warriors though the portal, he looked at robotnik with gratitude.

"This is a momentous day, Dr. Ivo Robtnik. One that shall be remembered for all time." Queen Alucion congratulated him. "The echidna tribe shall forever be in your debt."

"Oh, think nothing of it, your majesties!" Robotnik laughed, hopping behind the great ring. "Have a nice trip!"

The mad scientist hit the button, and the electrified giant ring buzzed to life. Suddenly, a wave of energy burst forth, and every member of the echidna tribe- every man, woman, child present- was sucked into the ring instantly, disappearing with a wail of anguish. Robotnik didn't know where the ring was sending them, and he really didn't care. But the terrifying truth was the members of the tribe had been sent to the special zone, and endless void where they would all float forever without aging, or dying. There they will float forever, for unlike the chaos emeralds they had no energy signature to track. And for the rest of his life, Knuckles would never see the other members of his tribe, ever again.

Although he was not yet aware of it, Knuckles the Echidna was truly alone, in away no other mobian was. For although there were legends of the spirit of Princess Tikal residing in the master emerald, and rumors of Knuckles's great-grandfather Athair- the nigh-immortal chaos shaman/mage living as a hermit in the abandoned desert palace zone- Knuckles was not yet aware of these things. He was the last member of the echidna tribe, anywhere on the surface of mobius.

Pulling out a radio communication device Robotnik spoke into it. "Attention, Metropolis Zone. This is Dr. Ivo Robotnik. I have disposed of the entire Echidna tribe, except for that gullible fool, Knuckles." The mad scientist boasted. "I will easily be able to convince him that Sonic had sabotaged the ring, and annihilated his people! With his help, I shall lure Sonic and his friends to Angel island, and destroy them!" Robotnik laughed manically. "Scratch! Grounder! Coconuts! If you are hearing this, send over my backup airship, the flying battery, along with my new army, the egg robos! Except for you three idiots, I'm scrapping all of my badnik forces, FOR GOOD!"

As the mad scientist gloated, Vanilla and Cream were watching his actions from a hiding spot nearby. Pulling out a warp ring, Vanilla through it in the air, and it expanded into a ring portal.

"Cream, listen to me." She told her daughter, shoving a bag of warp rings into her hands. "Go to earth, find Sonic the Hedgehog, and bring him back here! I believe he is the true hero of the prophecy, and only he can stop Robotnik!"

"But mama!" Cream pleaded, tears forming in her eyes. "I can't leave you behind, I don't wanna go!"

"You have to go, NOW!" The older rabbit tossed her daughter into the ring portal, tears in her eyes. "Goodbye, little one! I love you!"

As the ring portal closed, Vanilla the rabbit heard footsteps coming up behind her...


	2. Chapter 2

**chapter one: seeking aid**

**A small unnamed Island, somewhere in the South Pacific Ocean;**

"Wheeeee!" Amy giggled in glee, running along the beach towards the waves. "This is soooo much fun, I so totally love swimming!"

"Yeah, yeah... you do that, Amy." Sonic replied, putting on his sunglasses, and leaning back in his chair. "As for me, I'm going to sit back, and catch some rays."

It had been several months since Sonic and his friends had saved Easter Island, and a lot had happened to them since that time. Tom and Maddie found having three mobians as house guests to be too much trouble, and so G.U.N. had arranged a new home for them on this distant tropical isle. Sonic had been upset to leave his home in green hills, along with his human friends. But the blue blur had realized every moment he spent in green Hills was a danger towards the town's people.

Therefore, Sonic and his friends accepted G.U.N.'s offer, and so the trio were relocated to this isle. For Sonic, it was a wonderful new experience. Endless sun, warm temperatures, and a beautiful tropical paradise filled with palm trees and flowers. They received shipments from the mainland; books and comics to read, electric tech for tails to work on, and all sorts of nostalgic early 90s furniture and decor for the trio to decorate their three huts with. It wasn't the best life in the world, but it was a really cool place to live.

"Hey Sonic!" Tails called out, holding up his new invention, a surfboard with rocket boosters. "Watch me surf the waves with my new body board!"

"No thanks!" Sonic replied, lifting his shades, and smiling at his little friend. "Go and enjoy yourself, pal!"

As the two-tailed fox went zipping across the crest of a wave, Sonic turned his radio up, listening to the latest rock turned from the band, Crush40. The blue blur just chilled, lying back and bouncing his foot in time to the music. As the hero just tried to enjoy himself, Tails swerved his body board around to avoid splashing Amy... only to hit the relaxing sonic with a full wave of water.

"Hey, watch it, Tails!" Sonic complained. "I'm trying to chill here, could you be a little more careful?"

"Sorry, Sonic." Tails apologized. "I'll try to be more careful from now on."

"Yeah, watch out!" Amy complained, looking over from the sand castle she was building. "Don't go splashing your best friend with water!"

"Hey! I moved out of the way, so you wouldn't get hit!" Tails shot back. "Why didn't you just use your 'mystical powers', to move out of the way in advance!"

"My powers do not work that way!" Amy retorted. "Why couldn't you have used your science to stop the wave?"

The two continued bickering, as Sonic just rolled his eyes. "Oh great, these two are arguing _again." _Putting his sunglasses back on, he picked up the latest comic book issue of _Captain Rescue _to read. "I wonder if that wacky raccoon will catch the crooks who stole his rescue mobile. " While he read about the silly superhero, Sonic adjusted the dial on his radio. Tails had modified the radio to receive transmissions from mobius, and Sonic would listen to the broadcasts to keep up with things on his home world. As sonic adjusted the dial, the radio blared the end of a country song, before the announcer came on;

"And that was country singer, Catty Carlisle, singing her latest hit tune, I want that blue ball of yarn." The radio blared. "And now, this is Collie Chang, your ace news reporter, telling you all the latest news from across mobius. Our top story today; a diplomatic meeting was held in Starlight City zone recently, between the planet's top leaders to discuss trade issues. Among those in attendance were Queen Aleena Hedgehog of South Island, King Nigel Acorn of Westside Island, as well as King Saline of the underwater kingdom of mertopia. Among the topics discussed will be the upcoming marriage between South Island's prince Manic, and Westside Island's Princess Sally. Although there are concerns of the safety of the world leaders at the summit, particularly after the recent disappearance of the Echidna tribe from all diplomatic contact, Chief of security Sargent Doberman assured us that the delegates will be perfectly safe.

In local news today, Local Westside island con-man Wes Weasley was arrested today, along with his accomplice, Harry the Hawker. The two were apprehended by Sheriff Miss Possum of Tranquil Gulch, after trying to sell two broken ovens to diner owner Bert Whoo, and his waitress, Roxy Raccoon. In other news today, the Battle Bird Armada had renewed hostilities with Cocoa Island. His royal highness, the great Battle Kuku XV has sent the battle bird armada's greatest flyers, the Babylon Rouges, to -"

Sonic clicked the radio off, and stared ahead into space. Looking up at the still-arguing Tails and Amy, the blue blur raised a hand to stop them.

"Guys, listen..." Sonic stated, getting both of the other mobians to look at him. "Did you hear what the reporter on the radio just said? The Echidnas have gone missing!"

"The echidna tribe? The ones who killed your adoptive mom?" Tails asked bitterly, setting his body board down, and walking over to argue with her. "Personally Sonic, I don't see how those creeps disappearing could be a bad thing.I wish the Battle Birds would disappear like that."

"How can you say that! Not all the echidnas or battle birds are bad!" Amy protested. "Sonic's adoptive mother was a battle bird defector, and I don't think she was evil."

"You said the word right there, Amy, 'defector'. Even long claw thought they were rotten." Tails turned to walk off. "Look, you two can sit here and ponder over this news. We're supposed to get another visit from G.U.N. agents soon. Agent Topaz is going to debrief us, and Professor Von Schlemmer is going to go over some new G.U.N. scientific advancements with me."

"That Von Schlemmer guy is weird." Amy grumbled, sticking her tongue out. "He talks funny, and he has green skin. Humans shouldn't look like that."

"Hey, he's green because of a lab accident!" Tails protested. "Besides, all you and Topaz talk about is fashion and boys and stuff!"

"It's nice having another girl to talk to sometimes! You two and your gross humor gets annoying sometimes!" The pink hedgehog replied, ignoring the fact she could be just as gross as the boys sometimes. "What, it's not like a mobian girl I could be friends with is just going to drop out of the sky or something!"

At that moment, a ring portal suddenly opened up in the sky above them. Looking up in shock, the trio were surprised to see a little rabbit girl tumble down out of the portal... and land right on top of Tails, tackling him to the ground.

"Aiiiiiiiieeeeeee!-" *THUD!*

"Ooomph!"

The stunned Tails was groggy for a minute, then looked up to see the most heavenly face he had ever laid eyes upon. A pair of lovely brown eyes, long floppy ears, and a silky cream coat of fur greeted his vision. His face turning a deep shade of red, as he noticed the rabbit girl was lying right on top of him.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" The little rabbit apologized, getting off of Tails, and pulling him back to his feet. "Are you all right, Mr. fox?"

"Tails, are you okay?" Sonic asked as he and Amy ran to his side. "You're not hurt, are ya, little buddy?"

"Yeah, I'm okay." Tails replied, rubbing his head. "She just surprised me, that's all."

"Good thing you were there to break this poor girl's fall." Amy teased, making the fox's face turn a shade redder. "Amy Turned back to the little rabbit. "Hey there, are you all right?"

"Yes thank you." The little rabbit replied politely. "My name is Cream, and I'm here to-"

But before Cream could finish, several dark shapes dropped from the entrance of the portal. Turning to face the new arrivals, Sonic and his friends saw four humanoid robots descended on jetpacks, and carrying laser pistols. The robots were shaped like eggs, and painted the colors of Dr. Robotnik's uniform.

"Oh no," Cream wailed, hiding behind Tails. "Dr. Robotnik's Egg Robos! They've come for me!"

"Eggman's robots?" Sonic asked, as he, Tails, and Amy took a fighting stance. "There is no way we are letting Robuttnik gets his slimy hands on Cream here. C'mon guys, let's get these scrap piles!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two: Trickery and betrayal!  
**

The egg robos opened fire on the four mobians, hitting them with a barrage of laser fire. Sonic and Amy spin dashed out of the way, while Tails and Cream took off and flew in the air to dodge the shots. Moving, spinning, and dodging every blast, the four mobians tried hard to avoid their attackers. But unfortunately, Robotnik had greatly improved their designs. As Two of the egg robo's shots hit Sonic and Amy, knocking them both out spin dash, and sending them both sprawling. With the two hedgehogs dazed, the four egg robos charged up their blasters, to fire the shots that would finish off their two helpless enemies.

"Sonic, nooo!" Tails cried out, seeing his friend hurt. "They're going to kill him!"

"Oh, no!" Cream yelled. "We have to do something to help them!"

The two mobians dove at two of the egg robos, plowing into two of the robots right before they could fire. As Tails and cream destroyed two of the egg robos with a dive bomb, the other two turned their guns on the pair of flying mobians. But as Tails and Amy avoided and evaded the shots from the two remaining robots, Amy and Sonic were able to use the distraction to get back on their feet, and strike back at the pair of egg robos.

"Attack me, will ya?" Sonic spin dashed at the first robot, slicing it in half like a buzz saw. "Aww, it looks like you're going all to pieces now!"

Amy Rose dove at the other egg robo, knocking it into the air with her hammer. "Hey, don't you know it's not very nice to hit a lady?" The robot was sent flying into the air. "But that was a mistake, because this lady can fight back!" As the robot came back down, the pink hedgehog smashed the egg robo into pieces.

The four mobians barely had time to breathe, before the next wave of enemies was upon them. Another dozen egg robos descended from the ring portal, before it finally mercifully closed. The robots opened fire on the four mobians, causing them to scatter yet again. Spinning, flipping, and jumping to avoid the blasts, the four had to maneuver deftly to avoid getting hit.

"Wow, you're pretty good at this!" Tails complimented Cream, as they both weaved and bobbed through the air to avoid the blasts. "You ever been in a fight before?"

"Not really," Cream replied, diving to dodge a shot. "But my mom did teach me how to defend myself."

"Wow, she must be as amazing as you are." Tails smiled as he flew around, before snapping back. "I mean... awesome as a fighter as you are, I mean."

Cream giggled, as the four mobians turned the tide against the egg robos. Moving past their laser fire, the team spin dashed, hammered, and smashed robot after robot. Until finally, all that was left on the battlefield was the anthro quartet, and a scattered pile of robot scrap metal.

"Yeah, we did it!" The blue blur Yelled in triumph. "Score another one for team Sonic!"

Following the team's hard-earned victory, they heard the sound of a G.U.N. helicopter flying overhead. A rope ladder was lowered, and officer Julian 'Snivley' Stone came sliding down, landing in the sand next to the mobians.

"Agent Snively, good to see you again." Sonic greeted him, giving him a thumbs up. "Sorry to tell ya though, but you missed the battle again."

"Okay, would somebody _please_ tell me what the heck is going on here?!" Snivley asked in desperation. "We were on our way to the island, when we saw a fight between you guys and the robots."

"Oh! Hello, mister human!" Cream turned towards Snivley, and curtsied politely. "How do you do?"

"What the?!" The secret agent looked over at Cream. "And who the heck is this little girl? Where did she come from?"

"Well dude, that's what we all wanted to find out." The blue blur looked back at Cream. "Okay, young lady... could you please tell us why you are here, and where you came from?"

Cream nodded, and began to tell her story...

**Meanwhile, back on Angel Island;**

It was several hours later, that Knuckles returned to the echidna city. Carrying the results of the hunt in his knapsack, he walked down the main street of the great plaza... and was amazed at how deserted the place was. Search all the stone houses, step pyramids, and temples, the echidna prince found none of his people anywhere. Not seeing any of the tribe at their usual chores or hobbies, a panic began to grow in the young echidna's heart.

"Mother? Father?" Running towards the town square, he saw the platform the giant warp ring had been standing on, now totally destroyed. Everything around the square was trashed, and the red-furred echidna with a white fur crest on his chest and purple eyes finally fell to his knees. "Where is everybody?"

"I am so sorry, my dear boy." Robotnik said, emerging from the shadows, and putting a hand on his shoulder. "But they are gone, they are all gone."

"W-what?!" Knuckles asked in disbelief, jumping back to his feet. "No... NO! This can't be!" He ran back out into the nearby forest, calling out in despair. "Princess Tikal! Great-grandfather Athair! I need help!"

"The ghost princess cannot help you, and the old hermit cannot hear you." Robotnik Told him, putting on a voice of fake sympathy as he approached Knuckles again. "I am the only one here, my friend. And I mourn for your loss."

Knuckles stood there, weeping for several minutes, before slamming his fist into the dirt. "Who... who did this?! Who dared to destroy my tribe, and take away every thing I have ever known?!"

"It was that horrible blue hedgehog, Sonic!" Dr. Robotnik told him, a terrified look crossing his face. "I was just doing a demonstration of the ring portal for your father, when that horrible hedgehog and his friends came through, and sabotaged the device! The portal imploded, and killed your entire tribe! I tried to stop him, but it was too late!"

"That monster... he murdered my entire tribe!?" Knuckle's eyes burned with fury. "That monster will pay for what he has done! I will seek that stupid blue hedgehog out, and I will destroy him!"

"No, I do not believe that is the best option, my boy." Dr. Robotnik put his arm around the last echidna. "We shall lure that spiky blue monster to this island. Then, you and my robots shall assault him with all of your might!"

Knuckles watched, as the flying battery came through a ring portal from the Metropolis zone, and docked with the island. As the ship opened up, several hundred robots- both egg robos, and Robotnik's other new robot type, the swatbots- unloaded and deployed to every corner of the island. As Knuckles looked back at Robotnik, he noticed two Swatbots bringing in Vanilla rabbit, all tied up, and her mouth gagged.

"Ahhh, Vanilla the Rabbit, Snoo-ping as usual, I see." Dr. Robotnik chuckled. "My minions caught you spying on us in the courtyard, when the hedgehog sabotaged the great warp ring!"

"Miss Vanilla!" He looked at her in shock, then looked back at the mad scientist. "Robotnik, why have you done this?!"

"She aided the hedgehog, and her daughter ran off with him and his friends." Robotnik explained, as Vanilla struggled against her bonds, enraged at the villain's lie. "Do not worry, I will not harm her, but she will serve as bait for Sonic, Cream, and the others."

Knuckles glared at Vanilla, a hurt look on his face. "And to think, my tribe trusted you." The echidna turned away, trying to hide the sting of betrayal from his voice. "I am going to mourn my people in the hidden palace, Robotnik. Let me know when the hedgehog gets here."

After Knuckles had left, The mad scientist looked back at Vanilla, and chuckled. "He shall make a useful pawn, my dear. Tormenting and destroying Sonic for me- and then, I shall dispose of him, as well." Robotnik gloated. "After that, I shall force you to translate the ancient echidna text, so I may use my new master emerald properly." He thumbed to the swatbots. "I am waiting for the arrival of my new allies, take her away!"

As the swatbots carted vanilla back towards the flying battery, the sound of a yellow hover bike with two sidecars flying overhead filled the air. The vehicle- called the _Marvelous Queen_, came in for a landing next to Robotnik, and a trio of shady looking mobians hopped out.

"Ahhh, gentleman! Welcome!" Robotnik smiled, walking over to greet them. "Before their- untimely demise, I had heard from the echidnas that you three are the greatest mercenaries and bounty hunters on all of mobius!" The mad scientist snapped his fingers, and an eggrobo approached with a large chest of gold. "I trust this is enough pay to recruit your services in helping to destroy the hedgehog's friends?"

"Ay, so you're the human dey calls Dr. Robotnik." A purple and white weasel in a brown fedora snarled in a thick, gangster-like accent. "Dis here is enough dough ta pay us for kill a thousand hedgehogs!"

"Mmmmmmm." A large yellow polar bear with a red beanie and scarf snarled. The silent giant stared ahead with savage eyes, waiting for the moment he could use his great strength to cause destruction and suffering.

"Yeah, yeah, that's enough cash!" A crazed-looking green duck laughed maniacally, tossing a bomb back and forth between his hands. "Don't worry pal, we're gonna blow him up reaaaal good!"

This trio were Team hooligan- Nack the weasel- master sharpshooter, Bark the polar bear- savage brute, and Bean the duck- demented lunatic demolitions expert. These three were the most evil mercenaries on mobius- selling their services to the highest bidder. Having come together at an early age as three skilled juvenile delinquents, the trio were guilty of thefts, murders, destruction of property, torture, disembowelings, and other crimes far too hideous to mention here, in the name of a bounty/payday. When they had received the transmission from Dr. Robotnik to hire them, they were more than happy to take on the job.

"So, I explained your tasks that will be required of you in the radio transmissions I sent." Robotnik stroked his mustache. "Are there any other questions?"

"Just one, really." Nack asked, polishing his silver pop-gun blaster, a gift from his bounty-hunting father, Fang the Sniper. "Do youse require identifiable remains of the targets as proof of kill?" The weasel smiled, his one big fang sticking out of his mouth. "Because if not, it saves us on paying for a supper for Bark for a few meals."

Robotnik look over at Bark, who was licking his lipseargerly at the thought of Yellow Fox, pink hedgehog, and cream-colored rabbit, bfore the mad scientist burst out into evil laughter.

"You three are prefect!" Dr. Robotnik boasted. "When they arrive here, Sonic's friends won't know what hit them!"


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter three: Onward to Angel Island!**

"...and that's what happened." Cream finished, trying to keep from crying as she finished her tale. "Robotnik sucked all the echidnas in a big warp ring, and then kidnapped my mom. I barely made it through the warp ring, and came here to find you, mister Sonic."

"And you sought out sonic, because your mom believes he is the chosen one from the echidna prophecy." Tails said in awe. "Just like my dad thought we were chosen by the chaos emeralds."

"How horrible of Eggman to wipe out the echidnas like that!" Amy Rose said in disgust. "Sonic, we've got to rescue Cream's mother from the horrible mad scientist!"

"From what you describe, Dr. Robotnik will be even more dangerous with this 'master emerald' in his possession." Snivley added. "Sonic, we need to go to Angel Island, Rescue this young lady's mother, and Stop Ivo once and for all."

As everyone else talked, sonic stood over in the corner in silence. The others slowly stopped talking among themselves, and looked over to the blue blur.

"Sonic, is something wrong?" Tails asked, as the hedgehog looked away. "You've been awfully quiet since Cream told her story."

"Oh, it's nothing, Tails." Sonic replied, in a tone far more serious than one he would normally use. "I just find it funny that we're going into battle with the man who basically avenged Longclaw's death."

"Sonic, how can you even SAY something like that?!" Amy Rose asked him angrily. "Eggman has tried to kill all of us more than once, and we can't just leave Cream's poor mother in that madman's clutches."

"Oh no, I'm not saying Eggman isn't evil, or that we shouldn't take him down." The blue blur replied, looking back at her. "I just find it funny that our greatest enemy got rid of the jerks who caused me the most pain in my life."

"That doesn't change the fact he still has to be taken down." Snively added. "Believe me, I know Robotnik personally, and he is a far greater threat than a primitive tribe of marsupials with 'chaos magic'."

"But from what Cream told us, the echidnas aren't all gone." Tails pointed out. "From what she and her mother witnessed, Eggman is apparently planned on working with the lone survivor of the tribe, a guy named Knuckles."

"Then we will have to defeat them both." Amy replied with a nod. "It wouldn't surprise me if he isn't a traitor, turning on the rest of his tribe for Eggman's promise of power."

"Whatever the case, I really wanna face this Knuckles." Sonic pounded his fist into his other hand. "He owes me some Payback for what his tribe did to Longclaw!"

"Remember Sonic, this is primarily a rescue operation." Snively reminded him. "Don't let your desire for revenge let your priorities get confused."

"Oh, this isn't about revenge, agent Snively." Sonic muttered, heading for the door. "This is about making sure the last echidna can never hurt anyone else, ever again."

Everyone watched Sonic go, as he quietly slipped though the door, and out of the room. Cream, who had been politely silent while everyone else was talking, finally began to jump around excitedly.

"Yaaaaay!" She cheered, bouncing around excitedly. "We're finally going to go and rescue my mama!"

"Don't worry, Cream!" Tails reassured the little rabbit, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We've beaten Eggman a bunch of times already. Sonic., Amy and I should have no problem rescuing Vanilla."

"Thank you, Tails." Cream Replied, hugging him."I'm so grateful for everything you and your friends are doing for me."

"Uhhhh... no problem." Tails replied nervously, scratching the back of his neck. "Hey, can I talk to you later, Cream? I got to go talk to sonic about something..."

Tails suddenly ran off, leaving a confused Cream and laughing Amy Rose behind her.

"What was wrong with Tails?" Cream asked, confused. "Did I say something to offend him?"

"No, Cream. Tails is just really confused about his feelings right now." The pink hedgehog chuckled. "Come on, I'll tell you about it over a nice hot dinner."

As the girls headed off for Amy's hut, Tails finally caught up with the blue blur.

"Hey Sonic, wait up!" The orange fox called out, almost out of breath. "I have something for you!"

"Oh, hey Tails!" He looked back sheepishly. "Sorry I ran off like that; what've you got there?"

The fox held out his hands, revealing three small keychain-sized boxes that resembled tiny TV sets. On their screens he saw the images of a lighting bolt, a bubble, and a burning flame, respectively.

"Hey, what are these things?" Sonic asked in confusion.

"They are my latest invention- I call them power monitors." Tails explained. "When you break one of them open, it creates a round spherical energy shield around your body, like an aura. There are three types; one shield burns hot like fire, the second shield is cool like water, and the last crackles with electricity. But be careful, Sonic... they only last about five minutes each."

"So in video game terms, shield power-ups in monitor boxes? Way past cool!" He stuck the monitors into his ring bag, before turning back to his friend. "Say, Tails... you don't think I'm obsessing too much over this whole 'Knuckles' thing, do you? Agent Snively seemed a little concerned back there."

"I think we're all just worried you might let your desire for revenge override your common sense." tails pointed out. "Look, Sonic... Amy and I understand how you feel. There isn't a day that goes back that I don't have dark thoughts about doing something horrible to the battle bird army- those monsters took my parents away from me, forever." Tails sighed, a hint of sadness in his voice. "But you have to get over the pain, Sonic, yo u have to learn to not hate the bad guys who took everything away from you." The fox looked away. "Otherwise, the desire for revenge will just eat you from the inside out. It will turn you into nothing but a shadow of a hedgehog, filled with nothing but a hunger for revenge."

And with that, tails just walked off, leaving Sonic to think about what he had just said.

Over in Amy Rose's hut, Cream and Amy were sharing a large bowl of ice cream.

"Mmmmmm, this is yummy!" Cream cheered, gulping the chocolate sugary sweetness down. "Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Amy!"

"It's no problem. It reminds me of when I used to eat ice cream with my own mom." Amy Rose sighed. "So, you really miss your mother, don't you, Cream?"

"Yes, she did everything for me." The little rabbits smiled, looking up at Amy. "She told me bedtime stories, cooked for me, and made me feel special."

"A mother always makes you feel special, Cream." Amy replied, wiping a tear away. "My mom taught me all about the mystical arts, how to read tarot cards and palms. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't know how to use my powers so well today."

"When my mom found out I could fly, she did everything she could to encourage me. She even convinced a few bird mobians to teach me how to fly." Cream replied, finishing her chocolate ice cream. "Mama has always been there for me, until now."

'We'll make sure she's there for you again, Cream." Amy replied, remembering her own mother. "I swear to you, we'll get her back."

The next day, a warp wring opened about a mile away from angel island, and the Tornado came flying through. Tails was piloting, as usual, and Amy was riding in the passenger seat. Sonic was at his usual perch atop the wings, while cream flew along beside the plane.

"The radio transceiver is working just fine, Agent Snviely." Tails said into his communicator, with the secret agent on the other end. "We should have no problem keeping contact."

"Understood, Tails." Snively replied. "Continue approaching the target with caution."

"There's the island, up ahead!" Cream called out, pointing to the massive landmass ahead. "We're almost there!"

"Whoa! That's the floating island?" Amy asked in awe. "I've only seen it in pictures... it looks so much bigger in person!"

"Time to pay Robuttnik and Knucklehead a warm welcome!" Sonic jumped off the wing of the plane, and landed on the surface of the island. "After you guys find a place to land, try to catch up as fast as you can!"

"Sonic, Wait!" Tails called out. "It's too dangerous!"

The blue blur raced ahead, and was only about a mile inland, when an angry red echidna suddenly burst forth from the ground, knocking Sonic back. The echidna and hedgehog glared at each other angrily, hatred burning in their eyes.

"So, you must be Knuckles." Sonic sneered, getting back to his feet. "You don't look so tough, pal."

"And you must be Sonic the hedgehog." Knuckles laughed, almost evilly. "You never should have come back to this island, 'hero'... because this time, you shall never leave here, alive!"

Before Sonic could question his words, the echidna stepped on a giant button. Suddenly, a trap door opened beneath Sonic, and the blue blur tumbled down into the darkness of the trap he had just stumbled into...


	5. Chapter 5

** Chapter four: Fire and water**

Sonic tumbled downward, hurtling through the darkness until his instincts told him solid ground was right underneath him. Flipping around so hew would land on his feet, the blue blur found himself standing on a stone ledge, overlooking a dark body of water. Sonic lit up a glow stick he had in his bag, and was amazed by what he saw.

"Whoa..." The blue blur muttered in awe. "...this is intense."

The blue blur found himself overlooking the hydocity zone; a crumbling ruin built long ago by the ancient echidnas, to control the flow of water on the floating island. Water moved through ancient canals and channels far below him, as the still functioning machinery raised and lowered the water levels for some unknown purpose.

"Okaaayyyy... if I want to get out of here, I have to go down there..." Sonic muttered nervously. "But I wish I didn't have to go down close to all of that _water..."_

Sonic braced himself, trying not to hyperventilate, and took a deep breath. In one quick motion, the blue blur leaped down onto the platform below. Sonic began racing across the stone floor, running over the surface of the water, and leaping from platform to platform. The blue blur tried to avoid looking down as he ran... tried not to think about the blue liquid he was now running across the top of.

As he ran, Sonic was attacked y several of Eggman's robots. Small spiked tanks, called Turbo Spikers, rolled toward the blue blur, launching barbs at their speedy target. Sonic jumped and flipped to avoid the spikes, spin dash the small tanks and breaking through them. He was also attacked by blastoids- small cannons that peppered Sonic with shots. The blue blur tried to avoid these as well, but he couldn't dodge every projectile.

"Whoaaaaaaa-no-!" *splash!*

One of the blasts hit the blue blur, sending tumbling into the water. Sonic began to panic, scrambling in the water as he tried to avoid sinking. Desperately holding his breath, he scrambled towards the surface, flailing his limbs hysterically. Unable to swim, Sonic started to suffocate under the water's surface, until he saw bubbles of air gurgling up from one of the cracks and fissures on the bottom of the canal. Sonic desperately inhaled it, bubble by bubble, as he drifted to the bottom. Sonic began to slowly make his way across the bottom, taking in pockets of air as he went.

"Don't think about it... it's not water you're trying to slog your way through... it's honey... or syrup... yes, that's right. Syrup..."

But as he made is way through, his fear began to creep up more and more. Just then, a barrage of hedgehog seeking torpedoes- called Jawz- honed in on the blue blur. The missiles raced towards him... and under the water, Sonic could not avoid them. All the missiles struck him at once, sending him flying out of the water. Spurred on by the shock of the blast, Sonic used his terror over being immersed in water to race ahead at top speed. The blue blur smashed through every spiker and blastoid in a speeding spin dash of fury.

*BOOM BOOM SMASH SMASH BOOOOOM!*

"T-the water!" Sonic shrieked, terrified beyond on all reason. "G-gotta get away from the WATER!"

The terrified hedgehog tore out of the canal and lock area, coming back up on dry land again. Gasping for air, he looked around for an exit. Seeing a tunnel with a little light at the end, the blue blur raced up out of the darkness, and back into the light once more. Putting his terrifying ordeal with his feared element behind him, the blue blur trekked out of the darkened tunnel... and into the foothills of Angel Island's vast mountain range.

"Oh, no..." Sonic sighed. "...looks like it's going to get really cold for me."

Racing up the side of the first mountain, the blue blur sped himself up, to avoid the drop in temperature from entering the frozen tundra of the icecap zone.

...

Meanwhile, the tornado was swinging around the island again, finally having found a place to land. Tails, Amy, and Cream hopped out of the plane as it landed, looking around at their surroundings.

"Oh my goodness, this place looks beautiful!" Amy exclaimed in awe, looking at the lush jungle and colorful flowers. "It's like a floating paradise in the sky."

"The island is rather impressive." Tails admitted, admiring the crystal clear river and sparkling waterfall. "My father 's research indicated this island was a marvel of echidna alchemy and engineering."

"Ohhh, look at all the cute little animals!" Cream declared, starting to chase after a bunch of flicky birds in a bush. "I wish I could take one home as a pet!"

Cream chased the birds, tumbling into the underbrush. When she stood up to go back, the little rabbit heard the sound of machines moving around in the nearby clearing, Cream saw a sight that sent shivers up her spine.

"Oh my goodness!" She declared, trying to stay hidden in the bush. "This is awful!"

In the clearing, she saw several Swatbots; large onyx-colored armored humanoid robots with a single red vizor-like eye- capturing and loading up several of the island's small animals. As cream watched in horror, the 'bots took large groups of the poor, frightened creatures, and loaded them into large circular silver capsules with a giant button on top of each one. As the mobian rabbit shook with rage, Tails and Amy snuck up beside her to see what was going on.

"What is it, Cream?" Tails asked, concern in his voice. "What are they doing out there?"

"Those little animals..." Cream whispered, her tiny frame shaking in rage. "Those poor little animals."

"Grrrr, that creep Eggman is rounding up more animals to power his stupid army of robots!" The pink hedgehog snarled. "We gotta get out there, and do something about it!"

"Amy no, wait!" Tails pleaded as Amy Rose emerged from the bushes. "We should come up with a plan first!"

"Hey, robo-creeps!" Amy called out, holding her hammer defiantly. "Why don't you pick on some animal your own size?!"

All the Swatbots turned their attention towards Amy Rose, and they all raised their wrist laser cannons at her.

"Intruder found." The lead Swatbot officer declared, in a monotone voice. "Priority one hedgehog alert. Orders: Destroy target!"

Amy dodged back into the bush in a panic, as a barrage of laser fire shot towards her.

"See, I told you we needed a plan." Tails looked at the pink hedgehog smugly. "Now are you willing to listen to me?"

"Heh... sorry." She whispered in embarrassment. "Guess I didn't see that one coming in my crystal ball!"

"I'm really happy you're okay, Amy." Cream Whispered politely. "But what are we going to do now?"

The three quickly came up with a plan between themselves, and set it into motion.

As the swatbots continued to fire, Tails burst forth from the shrubbery, flying between two of the swatbots. The twin robots shot towards the fox as he zoomed between them, their blasts hitting each other, causing them both to explode. Meanwhile, Amy Rose ran between the legs of several of the swatbots, swinging her hammer, and knocking their legs out from beneath them. And while the other two fought off the robots, cream jumped from capsule to capsule, hitting the buttons on top, and causing the capsules to pop open, and free the animals.

"Yaaay, we're doing it!" Cream Squealed, as the animals scattered towards the woods. "We saved the animals!"

It was at this point, however, that anew enemy emerged from the nearby trees. A flying spherical robot, with a large central cannon in the front, hovered on fire jets towards the three mobians. The machine was called the Fire Breath; a robot originally created by Eggman to help the echidnas clear away dead vegetation and growth. Just as the robot came into view, it immediately began spewing napalm all over the trees and shrubbery, setting them ablaze. The trio were too busy fighting off the swatbots, as a ring of fire exploded all around them.

"Oh, no!" Tails shrieked, as he and cream landed near Amy. "The swatbots were a distraction, they're setting the whole jungle ablaze!"

"Oh no, it doesn't!" Amy snarled, raising their hammer. "No way that bucket of scrap is going to destroy all of this beauty!"

Amy rushed at Fire Breath, slamming the robot with her hammer. It knocked the napalm-bot back, and making a dent. Fire Breath launched several fireballs at her, which Amy Rose dodged and flipped to barely avoid. Cream and Tails zipped around in circles overhead, getting Fire Breath to fire in every direction. The two mobians all spin dashed the hovering robot again and again, slowly breaking away it's outer shielding, exposing its more vulnerable innards.

"Amy, you got your shot!" Tails cried out, as he and Cream pulled away. "Take it!"

The pink hedgehog swung her hammer again, bringing the piko-piko down on Fire Breath like a thunderbolt. The robot was hit with a forceful blow from the sledge, causing Firebreath to explode in a fiery ball of napalm.

*BOOOOOM!*

"AIEEEEEEE!"

The napalm showered all over the jungle, causing the flames to blaze even higher. Burnt and bruised, Amy landed on the ground below. Gasping for breath, the pink hedgehog tried to pull herself up, but collapsed back into merciful unconsciousness.

Amy!" Tails and Cream rushed over to her. They were horrified to find patches of her pink fur burned away, and her skirt and blouse were brunt into her flesh. As Tails and Cream picked her charred form up and flew away, Cream tried to hold back her tears as she watched the fire consume most of the animals she had just helped to save...


	6. Chapter 6

** Chapter five: healing hearts**

Tails and Cream flew their wounded passenger away from the islands coast, into the interior of the giant landmass. It wasn't long before the two children began to tire out, and decided to look for a place to set down. Looking around in desperation, Tails noticed and opening in the rock face of a nearby hill.

"Look, there is a cave up ahead!" Tails called out, motioning with his head. "We can set down, and hide in there!"

Flying into the cave's entrance, the pair lowered the scorched for of Amy Rose down, setting her on the soft sandy ground. Pulling a blanket out of his knapsack, Tails covered his friend, and began checking her vitals.

"She's very badly burned, but I don't have the medical tools to treat her here." Tails lamented. "We need to get her down to the surface of Mobius, or else-"

"Don't worry, Tails." Cream replied, kneeling down over Amy's charred form. "I will handle this."

The little rabbit placed her hands on Amy's chest, and closed her eyes. An eerie glow engulfed the pink hedgehog. The fox stared on in awe, as the glow wrapped around both girls like a cocoon for several minutes. Finally, the light dimmed down again, and a seemingly exhausted Cream still kneeling over the pink hedgehog. But when Tails stepped up to examine Amy, he was amazed by the sight that greeted his eyes.

"No scars, no burn marks... she looks completely healed!" The fox exclaimed. "Cream, how... how did you do this?"

"I-I can heal people, it's a special talent I was born with." Cream sighed, slumping over in complete exhaustion. "I can heal people's wounds, but it leaves me... totally..."

The little rabbit collapsed into Tail's arms, as the bewildered fox tried to get her awake again. "Cream? Cream! Wake up!"  
...

It was several hours later, when the little rabbit's eyes fluttered open again. The first thing she noticed was she was now covered by a warm blue blanket, and a warm fire was blazing nearby. The next thing she noticed was Tails and Amy sitting at the fire, having another one of their 'heated' debates about science and mysticism.

"I'm telling you Tails, I could easily find where Sonic went on the island by staring into the fire, and going into a trance." The pink hedgehog boasted. "Why don't we just do things the easy way?"

"And I'm telling you I want to sneak back to the Tornado, and recover my tracker." Tails replied, annoyance in his voice." That would be more reliable than your mystical mumbo-jumbo-" Tails's words trailed off, as he saw Cream was sitting up and staring at them. "Oh! Cream, You're awake again!"

"Cream, I'm so glad you're okay!" Amy rushed up and hugged the little girl. Cream looked Amy over, and was surprised by her new appearance.

"Amy, you look... different." The little girl said in shock. "What happened?"

Amy was now wearing a red sleeveless dress, with red boots, and a red hair beret. Her quills were now styled slightly differently, giving her a much altered appearance.

"Oh, the dress? It was a new one I had stashed in my knapsack." Amy Rose smiled proudly, admiring her new look. "It's an original, made by fashion designer Honey the Cat. It's from her dreamcaster line."

"You've been making ring portal trips back to mobius to shop?!" Tails asked incredulously. "Why didn't you tell Sonic and I?"

"A girl can't be cut off from civilization completely!" Amy Rose protested. "I needed a new mobian outfit to wear into battle. Human clothes aren't sturdy enough to survive combat, or being on an adventure."

"I still don't understand why you female mobians even wear clothes." Tails shrugged. "There is no social or cultural pressure for you to do so."

"It's a girl thing." Amy and Cream said in unison, both glaring at him with a raised eyebrow. "You wouldn't understand."

With a sigh, Tails decided to drop the subject. After a few seconds, Amy Rose spoke up again. "How did you heal me like that, Cream? That was sooo cool!"

"It's kinda just something I could do, ever since I was little." The rabbit explained. "I first did it once when I fell off my bicycle, and mama wasn't there. I cried and grabbed my scraped knee. And when I wished it didn't hurt, it just disappeared in a flash of light."

"And so you found you could make people's pains go away, but it took a lot out of you. It must be the power the chaos emeralds gave to you- besides fight, like me" Tails said sympathetically, putting a hand on her shoulder. "That's so very brave of you, Cream! But you shouldn't put your own health like that!"

"Oh, but I can't just let people suffer! I have to do something to help them when they're hurt!" Cream protested, closing her eyes. "My daddy... he was a doctor, he helped people, too. But when I was really little, daddy... got hurt. I-I was too young, and I couldn't heal yet, and..."

Cream put her head down, and looked like she was about to start crying. Amy and Tails both reached over, and hugged the crying little child tightly. That sat there like that for a few minutes, comforting Cream, until they heard a sound coming from the cave entrance.

"Guys!" Tails cried out, jumping up. "There's something out there!"

"Eggman found us!" Amy snarled, summoning her hammer. "This is it, everyone get ready!"

The three took a fighting stance, ready to take down whatever came through the cave entrance. But instead of some giant robot or beast, a tiny diminutive form emerged from into the passageway.

"Chao chao?"

It was a little blue form with tiny arms and legs, about the size of a baby, with big an innocent eyes, a little blue orb stuck up from its head, almost as if it were floating there. Cream and Amy, upon seeing the adorable little creature, rushed over and picked it up.

"Awwwwww!" The little rabbit squealed, hugging the little blue ball of fluff. "He's sooooooo cute!"

"Eeeeeek! So ADORABLE!" Amy Rose giggled. "It's a chao! There must be a chao garden nearby!"

"Chao?" The creature asked, confused.

It was a chao, the little creatures mobians have kept as pets for centuries. They lived in small colonies of their own, called gardens, and their owners would come and visit them there, feed them, and play with them.

"Actually, the chao garden must have been back near the beach. This little fellow must have wandered his way here after..." Tail's ears drooped, as he remembered the fire. "Well, let's just say he's lucky to have found his way here, to us." Tails watched the girls cooing over the little blobby creature, and stuck his tongue out. "Ewwww, can you two stop cooing over that thing? It's getting really annoying!"

"Well, isn't that just like a boy? Can't handle the least bit of sentiment!" Amy shook her head, then looked back at Cream holding the chao. "Cheesy, he says... cheesy. Cream, and... Cheesy- no, what about... Cream, and Cheese?"

Laughing, the trio made their way back to the fire, and enjoying the company of their new friend.


	7. Chapter 7

** Chapter Six: rivals  
**

Sonic emerged from the frozen tundra of the ice cap zone, shaking off the snow, as well as the scrap parts of the robots he fought while trekking through the icy tundra. Coming down a mountain path, and emerging once more into the low tropical grasslands, Sonic took off running. Glad to be out of the frozen wastes, the blue blur raced along though much more pleasant surroundings.

"Wow, it's great to be someplace warm again." Sonic muttered to himself as he ran. Squinting his eyes, he was some unusual structures on the road ahead. "Whoa, what is with this weird place?"

Coming to a stop at the outskirts of the empty city, Sonic was amazed to see several Mayan palaces and temples standing all around him. Noticing how empty the place was, the blue blur began to look around through the surrounding buildings.

"Hey, this place looks like everybody just up and left." Sonic mused. "I wonder what happened here?"

"Impressive place, isn't it? Marble Garden Zone was the greatest of the echidna cities." A voice called out from a rooftop above him. "My people spent thousands of years building this place, before they were taken out of this world."

Knuckles stepped up to the edge of the rooftop, glaring down at the blue blur with anger.

"You! You're the one who dropped me down that hole when I first got here!" Sonic snarled in anger. "I don't know what your after, echidna, but I won't let you get away with it!"

"What I'm after?! What I am after is revenge, you blue devil!" The echidna snarled, pointing a finger through his mitten-like glove. "You took my people away from me! You destroyed my family! I am going to destroy you for that, Sonic the hedgehog!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, echidna scum, but I'm the one who wants revenge on YOU!" Sonic shook his fist at the echidna. "Your tribe are the ones who killed Longclaw! You took my foster mother away from me, forever!"

"So that is why you wiped out my tribe, blue devil! You seek revenge, as well!" Knuckles snarled. "Very well, that it will make this contest far more honorable! And it shall make your defeat all the more delicious!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Sonic asked, beckoning him down. "Come on, let's get this party started!"

"No, not yet. You are exhausted from your journey, tired out from your battles with Robotnik's machines." Knuckles crossed his arms. "Such a victory would be dishonorable, a hollow win for Knuckles of the echidna tribe."

"Don't give me that 'honor' baloney, Knucklehead!" The blue blur shot back. "The members of your tribe are about as honorable as a demon chao!"

"Don't you dare speak ill of the echidna tribe! We are the greatest warriors on all of Mobius!" Knuckles walked across the roof, launching into a tirade. "Since the day I was first hatched from the egg, I was brought up in my people's ways! I learned to fight, I learned to hunt, and I learned to proudly recite the history and lore of our people!" He looked down darkly at sonic. "My father, the great chief Pakal, taught me the importance of carrying on our people's legacy and traditions! I was to lead our people into the future... until you stole that future from us! And now I am the last!"

"Again, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about." Sonic shrugged at his words. "But if you are the last echidna now, that all of my grudge is with you now. Your tribe was the bunch who attacked Longclaw and I, and tried to steal the powers I was given by the master emerald at birth!"

"Lies! We weren't after your powers! What would we do with a hedgehog's ability to run fast?" Knuckles retorted. "We sought to capture you, to determine if the prophecy about you being the destroyer of the echidna tribe was true." Knuckles narrowed his eyes. "Obviously, we now know that is the case. Longclaw was obviously raising you to destroy us... perhaps it was a good thing we eliminated her!"

"Don't you dare talk badly about Longlcaw, you Knuckleheaded creep!" Sonic angrily raced up the side of the building at the echidna, who quickly jumped away to another rooftop. "She took me away to seclusion to raise me, where I could have a normal childhood! She and uncle Chuck were the only family I ever knew!" Sonic snapped, referring to the uncle Longclaw allowed to come to the island, and help her raise the blue blur. "After Uncle Chuck moved back home, she was the only family I had! And you 'great warriors' took her away from me!"

"You fool, do you think you are the only one who has suffered loss!? Except for an absent great-grandfather, my entire family is gone forever!" Knuckles turned away. "But enough talk! Meet me in the grand audience chamber of the hidden palace... the place with the mural of the prophecy that looks like you... in six hours. And there, we shall end this... once and for all!"

The echidna then vanished, leaving an enraged Sonic to fume over his words.

...

Knuckles stormed away from sonic, retuning to an upper room in the hidden palace zone. There, the hooligans were waiting for him, with a tied up and gagged Vanilla with them. As Knuckles approached, Knack stepped up to greet him.

"Hey, Echidna boy! Glad you could make it!" The weasel tipped his hat in respect. "Youse musta given that hedgehog, what for, huh?"

"I have challenged him to a warrior's duel, as is the Echidna's way." The echidna replied. "A mercenary like you would not understand."

"Hey pal, all I understand is the value of money." Knack rubbed his index finger and thumb together. "Which the doc is paying me a lot of to help youse guys with the hedgehog and his friends."

Knuckles looked over at the tied up Vanilla. "And where are you taking her?" He asked. "I thought she was just bait to lure the hedgehog and the others here."

"Robotnik wants us to take her to the Sandopolis Zone, heh heh. Wants her to translate ancient echidna hieroglyphs there, and learn the lost secrets of your tribe, yeah." Bean giggled like the maniac he was, tossing one of his bombs back and forth. "If she don't comply, we hurt her... _real_ _bad."_

Knuckles shivered in disgust at the duck's words, not thinking of how these scumbags would do to a beautiful woman like Miss Vanilla. Why had Robotnik hired these vile creatures to aid in their plans? Despite Vanilla's supposed betrayal, the echidna did not want to see the rabbit or her daughter get hurt. "Just make sure you are back here to deal with the hedgehog's friends, I want no outside interference in the coming fight between Sonic and I."

"Youse got it, Knuckle boy." Knack mock-saluted him. "We'll be back fro mour mission in time to kick their tails in!"

Knuckles walked out of the room past Vanilla, trying to ignore the glare the kidnapped rabbit gave him, and trying to tell himself he was doing the right thing...


	8. Chapter 8

** Chapter Seven: exploration**

Nack had forgotten how much he hated the desert.

After leaving the hidden palace, the three hooligans and Vanilla Rabbit had made their way to Sandopolis Zone on board the _Lucky Queen_. Setting down at the edge of the vast desert, the four of them had begun their trek through the terrible heat and shifting sands. Vanilla had a parasol to shield her from the burning sun, while bark and Nack had to rely on their hats for protection. Bean however, didn't even seem phased by the heat, acting as crazy and insane as ever.

"Ohhh, lookie over there... it's sand!" The dynamite duck cackled, bouncing from dune to dune. "And more sand... and more sand... and more sand and more and more and more and more..."

"Bean, quit actin' like a two-year-old!" Nack snapped, wiping the sweat off of his brow. "Jeez, this is woise that the time we stole some loot from that Wendy the Witch and her gang of witchcarters."

Ohh, ohhh! We shout get Wendy to come out here!" Bean Joked, hopping around again. "That would make her a sand_-witch_!"

Annoyed by his jokes, Bark punched the loony bird high into the air, before he came tumbling back down face-first into the soft sand. Nonplussed at his antics, Vanilla Rabbit merely shook her head. "Huh, and here I thought ducks could fly."

"Mobian birds can't fly on their own, lady, everyone knows that." The weasel turned around, pointing his gun in the rabbit's face. "Youse better shut that yapper of yours lady. Or it's one bullet, and then Bark is having Hasenpfeffer for supper!"

"So you know the fancy name for roasted rabbit. Surprising for a lowlife thug like yourself." Vanilla scoffed at him, putting her cream-colored parasol with lace trimmings in front of her face. "I would be surprised if any of you three have anything in your upbringings that qualifies you for anything more than violence."

"Hah! Shows how little youse know!" Knack growled back, as they continued their trek through the sands. "I was raised by my old man to be a bounty hunter! Fang the Sniper wuz the best dad I could ask for, teaching me how ta shoot an' ride a hoverbike! My dad passed down all the tracking and fighting skills us weasels had known fer generations." The weasel snickered. "Of course, the old man wasn't happy when I collected the bounty on him- heh heh!"

"Adorable." Vanilla said in disgust, before looking over towards bean. "And what's your story?"

"Me? Me? I was a proud soldier in the battle bird army. My dad Bin the duck- and my uncle, Pin the duck- were demolitions experts in the Battle Bird army. They trained me all about how to make things go BOOM, and we were called the 'dynamite dux' by the other battle birds. We blew stuff up for them REAL GOOD!" Bean said, laughing crazily. "But then one day, we allll made a big bomb, and it went BOOM by accident. Dad and uncle both went kablooey, but I just got my brain hurt by the blast. Now, I see everything clearly! I deserted the Battle Bird army to join the Hooligans; now, Nack lets me BOOM anytime I want! Oh, the destruction! Oh, the explosions! I love making the sky light up with BOOMS!"

"Charming." Vanilla chuckled, looking up at Bark. "And what's with him?"

"Bark is a quiet type, he don't talk about his past much." Nack replied. "But from the way I hoid it, he wuz from a tribe of polar bears up north. They bred carefully for generations to produce the strongest offspring, and finally they produced Bark, a specimen who was the strongest polar bear ever." Nack chuckled grimly. "Of course, when he got old enough, he rewarded the rest of the tribe by eating them. Which he is going to do to you if ya can't get us any valuable echidna secrets to take back to Dr. Robotnik."

Vanilla nodded, and they continued the journey through the desert. Vanilla began to notice they were passing many ancient Echidna structures; old temples all covered in hieroglyphs, crumbling stone ruins, and a giant pyramid in the center of the background. They came to several cliffs and rock faces, which knack used a set of ropes with grappling hooks and handlebars to get down. It was an arduous journey, one that a sedentary rabbit like vanilla was not used to taking.

How had she ended up in a situation like this? Vanilla remembered her quiet life growing up on southern Westside Island; she and her sister, Bunnie Rabbot, were raised to be proper ladies by their Uncle Beauregard and Aunt Lulumae. While her sister Bunnie became a hairdresser for the royal family of Acorn, Vanilla had gone to university to study Archeology and ancient languages... which had eventually led to her current predicament. Vanilla had no choice but to follow along with them across the desert. She knew that escape was impossible; if she tried to run, wither the Hooligans would get her, or Eggman's robots would catch up. She could only hope that her daughter had found the blue hedgehog, and that rescue would be coming soon.

As they neared the great pyramid, all four of the mobians began to hear a loud rumbling beneath their feet. The ground all around them began to shake, and Vanilla and the Hooligans all fell to their knees.

"Wha-what the heck is that?!" Bean cried out, as he tried to stand up again. "Some kind of earthquake?!"

Suddenly, a towering humanoid figure -twice the size of the mobians made of stone- burst forth from the ground. The giant rock monster stood over the four mobians, raising his fists high into the air.

"It's a guardian!" Vanilla yelled. "The ancient echidnas made these golem guardians with chaos magic, and they are enchanted to protect Angel island!"

"Everybody scatter!" Nack yelled, loading his pistol.

The four mobians ran in every direction, as the guardian slammed down his fists into the sand. Knack opened fire on the golem, causing the bullets bounce off. Bark leaped into the air, slamming his fist into the chest of the golem, creating some cracks, but doing little actual little damage. Bean chucked dozens of bombs at the giant, which only made it stumble backwards. The guardian swung it's massive arm, sending the hooligans flying in every direction. The giant tried to step on Bark, who caught its giant foot in his powerful grip. The polar bear threw the guardian backwards, and the giant nearly fell down.

"Bean, go high! Bark, go low!" Nack ordered them. "Let's rock this guardian's world!"

Bean jumped up on Bark's shoulders, then took a fling leap towards the guardian. Hurling the bomb down at the moving statue's head, the duck cackled gleefully as he blew the guardian's head clean off... only to have the head magically reassemble itself seconds later. Bark tackled the guardian's legs, shattering them to pieces, and bringing the whole golem down. But the legs almost instantly reassembled themselves, and the guardian was quickly on the move again. Enraged, Nack opened fire on the right arm with several shots, whittling away the guardian's arms which each blast... only to have the arms reassemble themselves within seconds.

"Holy heck, this thing has self-repairing magic spells cast on it!" The weasel exclaimed. "We're gonna have ta work even harder ta bring it down!"

The Hooligans shot, punched, and bombed the moving statue over and over again. But their attacks only seemed to stagger the giant, and slowly chipped away at its massive stony body. While the trio managed to avoid and evade the golem's every attack, Knack realized they would eventually tire out.

"Hey Vanilla, our attacks are barely hurtin' this thing!" The weasel called out to her. "Any idea how to take this rockhead down?!"

Opening up her journal, she looked over the notes she had taken from the ancient in the echidna royal library. Reading over a few passages about the guardians, Vanilla pointed over towards a nearby pool of quicksand.

"Lure the guardian into the quicksand!" She called out. "He'll be trapped there!"

The trio nodded, and all began running towards the sand pool. The guardian made slow jumps towards the Hoolgans, trying to crush them with each step. Nack somersaulted over the giant's head, firing bullets to take out it's quartz eyes. Sliding underneath the giant, Bean hurled another bomb at it's back, launching it forwards another few steps. Finally, Bark used all of his strength to toss the stone golem over his head, sending it hurtling down into the quicksand pool. The guardian struggled against the murky sands, but slowly sank into the mire until it disappeared completely.

"Well now, that wasn't so hard." Nack said proudly, re-holstering his gun. "We sure showed that rock head who was boss!"

"That's all well and good, but we'd better get ourselves out of here." Vanilla replied. "There are hundreds more of those things buried out here in the sand, and all of that fighting might have woken them up."

The Hooligans are shuddered nervously at her words, before quickly making their way towards the Pyramid. Bark easily smashed the doors off with a blow of his mighty fists, and Bean lit a torch to lead them inside.

"Wow, this place is even more impressive than the hidden palace." Vanilla said in awe. "I think the ancient echidnas might have actually been more magically advanced than their descendants."

"Never mind the bookworm stuff, lady!" Nack snarled, as they approached a large stone wall towards the center of the pyramid, covered in echidna glyphs. "Just translate this stuff and write it down, so's we can take it back to the doc, an' get paid!"

"Well, lets see here." Vanilla looked between her journal and the ancient writing, and began to scribble down notes. "It says something here about some kind of curse... a beast named Chaos.. the master emerald controlling the others... a doomsday prophecy, and-"

"You do not belong here, outlanders." A voice called behind them, causing all four of them to spin around. "You should not have come to this place."

As they all turned to face the speaker, the four mobians saw what appeared to be a red echidna, wearing a long blue robe and small spectacles, and carrying a long, two pronged staff. The strange echidna spoke in what an earth person would describe as a Scottish accent, sounding eerily like the human actor, Sean Connery. Remembering what the echidnas had told her, Vanilla immediately recognized who this stranger was.

"Athiar, mystical sage of the echidna tribe, and only one of the two of your kind left." She curtsied respectfully. "It is an honor to finally meet you in person."

"I know very well who you are, Miss Vanilla." Athair replied, adjusting his spectacles. "It would be best if you leave this place, while these ruffians get what is coming to them."

"Enough of this nonsense!" Nack snarled, pulling out his gun and pointing it at the elder echidna. "You'd better help us with what we need old man, or else!"

"You intruders shall be driven from this place." Athair decreed, stamping his staff on the stone floor. "The Hyudoros- the spirits of evil echidna criminals executed here - shall be your guides out."

Suddenly, the old echidna vanished, and the room went dark. A loud moaning and wailing filled the room, and several eerie shapes began to materialize. They were pale sheet-like phantoms, with glowing yellow eyes, and a vague echidna shape. The hyudoros began slowly moving towards the Hoolgans who all stood back to back.

"Boss, this place is filling up with spooks!" Bean wailed in terror. "What are we going to do now!?"

"Stand your ground, boys!" Nack yelled defiantly, trying to hide his growing fear. "We've gotten out of woise situations than this... let's bust these ghosts!"

And as the trio were assaulted by the evil ghosts, they failed to notice Vanilla running hastily towards the exit.


	9. Chapter 9

** Chapter eight: battle  
**

Racing to the hidden palace at the appointed time, the Blue blur entered the massive structure, slowly making his way through the hallways. Looking into some side chambers, he saw not only the royal weapons and treasure rooms of the echidnas, but he also marveled at the sight of the glittering master emerald. The giant jewel sat glittering on its crystalline pedestal. Making his way past all of these wonderful treasures, Sonic snuck his way back to the grand audience chamber.

"All right, I'm here!" Sonic called out, walking into the main chamber of the Hidden Palace. "Let's finish this once and for all!"

Sonic had barely taken a step into the room, when the enraged Knuckles launched himself at the blue blur. The last echidna launched a fierce flurry of punches at Sonic, who swiftly dodged each of his blows. Sonic spin-kicked Knuckles, sending him flying backwards. But the echidna quickly bounced back, finally slamming the blue blur with an uppercut.

"You won't defeat me, hedgehog!" Knuckles snarled. "I shall avenge myself upon you, by pounding you into oblivion!"

Angered, Sonic launched at Knuckles with a punch of his own. The echidna managed to dodge the blow, before knocking the blue blur down with a sweeping kick. Sonic quickly jumped back to his feet, roundhouse punching Knuckles, and knocking the echidna back again. Both combatants jumped backward, and took a fighting stance again.

"I don't believe it... I have super speed." Sonic gasped in disbelief. "How are you keeping up with me?"

"The master emerald... it negates the power of the chaos emeralds." Knuckles smirked. "Since your super speed comes from the chaos magic of the emerald, you've been slowed down to more my speed. While the master emerald's energies have BOOSTED me!""

He jumped at sonic again, who sped out of the way.

"Well, you may have slowed me down a bit," Sonic retorted. "But I'm still fast enough to take you down!"

Sonic spin dashed at Knux, who caught him in midair, with the blue blur's buzzsaw quills just inches from his face. The echidna tossed Sonic away like a basketball, and the blue blur hit the wall, and bounced back at Knuckles. The echidna slammed the blue blur with a powerful punch, sending him flying clean through a nearby stone wall.

"I told you that your speed was no match for my might, hedgehog!" Knuckles boasted, diving through the hole he had just made after Sonic. "I kill you for what you did to my tribe!"

Shaking off that last blow, Sonic took off running sideways up the wall. The echidna used his fist spikes to rapidly pursue the blue blur up the wall. Upon reaching the ceiling, The blue blur spin-dashed back towards the climbing echidna. Knuckles tumbled back to the stone floor, barely landing on his feet before he hit.

"That the best you've got?" Sonic taunted him, as he landed on the floor nearby. "Eggman's robots hit me harder than-OOF!"

He was interrupted as Knuckles rushed forward, and kicked him the gut. While Sonic was off balance, Knuckles tunneled his way into the ground,and moved to come up beneath Sonic. The blue blur barely leaped out of the way as Knuckles burst up from under the ground beneath him. Seeing his first attempt had failed, Knux dug down into the grown, bursting up again and again from the ground to attack the blue blur. Sonic barely avoided the attack again and again, leaping and jumping around like a ping-pong ball.

"Whoa, this is like the movie Tremors, with you popping up to attack like that!" Sonic exclaimed. "Okay, that's it! Time to heat things up!"

Pulling out one of the small, tv-like monitors Tails had given him at the start of this mission from his knapsack, Sonic pressed a button on top of the box. Suddenly, a circular fire shield surrounded his entire body, serving as a protective barrier against began spin dashing at Knuckles every time he emerged fro mthe ground, scorching the angry echidna with the fire shield again and again.

"Araghhhhhh, stop it!" Knux cried out, covering his scorched face with his gloves. "It burns!"

Popping up behind Sonic, Knuckles noticed another monitor had fallen out of the blue blur's sack. Grabbing the lightning box and pressing the button, the echidna was surrounded by an electric shield.

"Oh yeah!" Knux exclaimed, grinning at his electrically charged shield. "Time to even up the score!"

The two shielded mobians began slamming into each other over and over again; lighting up the chambers of the hidden palace with lightning sparks and flashes of fire. The two finally slammed into each other, grappling with one another as electricity and fire showered all over the room. The two wrestled against each other, their struggle growing more and more intense, until-

BOOM!

A large explosion and shower of sparks filled the hidden palace, sending a shock wave out in all directions. In the great hall, Sonic and Knuckles lay at the bottom of a crater, both totally exhausted, and barely able to move.

"Ungh,,, it can't end this way... I can still fight" Knuckles groaned, trying to stand up. "I need to avenge my tribe, you.. you killed them."

""I-I've never been to this island in my life before now." Sonic rasped out, barely able to stand. "How could I possibly wipe out an entire civilization by myself?"

"But... but robotnik told me you appeared, and sabotaged the great ring teleporter." Knuckles protested, stumbling around. "He said you wiped my tribe out."

"Uh huh. Robotnik... Eggman ...has a bad habit of lying, or so Agent Snively told me."Sonic rasped out, trying to hide his exhaustion. "I should be the one getting revenge on you! Your tribe's warriors killed Longclaw."

"The warriors who killed her disobeyed my father's orders to just bring you in alive! He had them executed for their murder of Longclaw!" Knuckles pointed up at the nearby mural, with Sonic and a giant Robotnik robot fighting each other on it. "See that image? That is part of the prophecy! You will try to destroy our tribe, and Robotnik and his machines will save us!"

"Just one question, Knucklehead..." Sonic asked, as he struggled to stay awake. "How do you know Robuttnik isn't the one attacking your people on that mural, and I'm not the one saving angel island?"

Knuckle's eyes went wide of a moment- as details turned over in his mind, and he remembered little things Robotnik had said and did during their conversations- and the last echidna let out a howl of anguish, as he realized he and his tribe had been tricked. But before ether one of them could react further, they both passed out from exhaustion, and both were left lying unconscious on the hidden palace's cold stone floor.


	10. Chapter 10

** Chapter nine: triple trouble, times three  
**

Having made their way out of the cave, Tails, Amy, Cream and Cheese made their way through the jungle, trying to reach the center of Angel Island. The trio figured that the Echidna city was where Robotnik was holding Vanilla, so they would trek towards that location. The three of them soon noticed a clearing ahead, so they decided that's where they would stop for a rest.

"Hey, girls! Get over here!" Tail called out, as he looked out into the clearing. "You're not going to believe what I just found!"

Cream and Amy looked into the clearing, and their eyes lit up like candles. It was a large and colorful amusement park; neon lights, carnival tents, Ferris wheel, and roller coasters. It was like a brightly lit fantasy land, whose shining colors and beautiful decor were very alluring to the three young mobians, even during this current crisis.

"What... what is this place?" Tails asked in awe. "It looks incredible!"

"This is Balloon Park, the amusement park the echidnas had built." Cream Explained. "They used to come here to relax... my mom even brought me here a few times."

"Chao Chao." Her new little pet agreed, Cheese looking around at all the pretty lights and colors.

"This place looks like sooo much fun!" Amy squealed, stars in her eyes. "We have sooo got to come back here after we rescue cream's mom!"

"Yeah, but right now, we've got to keep moving." Tails said, tearing his eyes away from the colorful spectacle. "Vanilla Rabbit is counting on us!"

The trio began their trek through the park, looking around at the boarded up stalls on the midway. As three of them strolled through the vacant amusement park, they failed to notice a hoverbike, with three passengers aboard, flying above them.

"I can't believe youse two idiots, letting that Vanilla Rabbit get away!" Nack snarled, piloting the _Lucky Queen. "_Robotnik is going to slash our bounty for sure, now!"

"Hey, we couldn't help it!" Bean protested. "Those ghosts put up a tough fight! If we hadn't discovered their weakness to light, we'd have all been goners!"

"Baaah! Youse two are woithless!" The weasel pulled out his binoculars. "Now, we know she stole Bean's old extreme gear hoverboard from his battle bird days out of the lucky queen's trunk, and the tracker on the board says she was headed this way. So keep youse eyes peeled!" Nack looked down at the ground, and saw the trio of mobians on the ground. "Well, well, well... I think we's found our OTHER targets, boys!"

The weasel swooped the bike down, zooming over the trio's heads. Nack landed about twenty feet in front of them, and he, Bean and Bark jumped off of the hoverbike. Startled, the trio of mobians stared at the hooligans in stunned silence.

"Hello, guy and goils..." Nack snickered, pulling out his gun. "...if youse three will comes along quietly with us, then nobody gets hurt."

Amy Rose stared at him for a moment in shock, and then her face contorted into a look of rage. Without uttering a word, materialized her hammer, and charged at the weasel in a rage.

"YOU!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, bringing the piko-piko down towards Nack's skull. The terrified weasel barely dodged out of the way, before the hammer slammed down into the ground, cracking the pavement on the midway. "YOU THREE KILLED MY FAMILY! I'L #%&!-ING DESTROY YOU!"

It was at that moment, that everything erupted into total chaos. The hooligans jumped into battle with the trio, with bean attack Cream, and Tails going into battle with Bark. The three battles spread throughout the amusement park, degenerating into an all-out brawl.

Tails and Bark battled their way across the midway, attacking each other and dodging the blows. The polar bear took swipes at the two tailed fox, who Dove and spun out of the Way of those sharp claws.

"Nyah nyah! Can't catch me!" Tails teased Bark, making a face as he dodged another claw swipe."You are, without a doubt, the ugliest polar bear I have ever seen!"

The fox flew to the roller coaster, flying up towards the top hill to escape his attacker. Enraged, Bark ran up the coaster tracks on all fours, racing towards the top where the fox stood. Tails raced along the rails, the polar bear in hot pursuit behind him. Unable to keep up, bark slammed his paws into the coaster, his massive strength cracking the wooden frame and bringing the coaster crumbling down.

"Whooooo-aaaaa!" The fox cried out, taking flight again as he tumbled downward. Bark lunged at the fox, grabbing him by his two tails. Both of them tumbled downwards, with Tails kicking at the polar bear's face. As the two crashed into one of the game stalls, punching, kicking, and biting each other. In his fury, Bark slashed at tails again and again, cutting and tearing his flesh as the fox cried out. Tails barely managed to pull away from the crazed polar bear, and with his two tails wounded, started to run away with a limp.

"ROAAAAAR!" Bark raged angrily.

"G-get away from me!" Tails pleaded.

The fox scrambled away, the bear clawed after him. Catching up, Bark smashed tails into a park electrical box, and began to savagely choke the life out of him. Desperately reaching out, Tails grabbed a live wire from the box, and shoved it into Bark's midsection, electrocuting them both. Sparks sizzled and shot through both of their bodies, as the two mobians screamed in agony. Finally, Tails dropped the wire, and the unconscious Bark tumbled over with a thud, smelling like charred polar bear meat. Pulling himself up, Tails limped his way over to some steel cable sticking out of the ground, pulled it out, and began to tie the wounded polar bear up.

Meanwhile, Cream and Cheese were feeling from Bean, who hurled bomb after bomb at the little rabbit. Cream flew up towards the Ferris wheel, with Cheese on her back, with small explosions raining down all around them.

"Hey, hey little bunny!" the duck grinned, laughing like a lunatic. "Comeback here, so's I can blow you up, REAL GOOD!"

"EEK!" Cream wailed, landing on top of the wheel. "Keep away from me, you crazy bird!"

Bean threw a bomb up at her, but Cream caught it, chucking the bomb back. Bean barely dodged the explosion, before turning on the wheel, and jumping onto one of the seats. The two chucked bombs at each other, throwing the explosive orbs back and forth at each other like basketballs. Both of them failed to hit each other with an exploding bomb, but the tossed bombs reigned down on the base of the wheel. The explosions rocked the amusement ride, causing it to creak and fall over. Bean and Cream leaped off of the tumbling wheel, as it crashed to the ground below. The rabbit then tackled the duck to the ground, hitting him with a flurry of punches.

"You big meanie!" She cried out, hitting him again and again. "How dare you attack a little girl!"

"You're just a little rabbit, you bad bunny!" Bean hit her with a flurry of kicks from his webbed feet. "I'm gonna turn you into rabbit stew!"

As Cream stumbled to the ground from all the blows, Cheese suddenly threw himself at Bean, hitting him like a missile, and sending him flying backward. As the little rabbit stood up again, she glided forward at the crazed duck, tackling him.

Cream knocked him backwards into a wall, and Bean reached into his knapsack to pull out a GIANT red bomb, holding it over his head.

"Okay, since I can't blow you up the normal way..." Bean declared, eye twitching. "I'm gonna put down a boom so big, I'll blow this whole ISLAND away! Hee hee!"

Cream panicked, terrified that she would die right then and there. Realizing Cheese had survived hitting Bean without a scratch, Cream threw the Chao at Bean, hitting the duck square in the chest. The blow caused him to drop the bomb, which promptly exploded in his face. As the smoke cleared, Cream and Cheese saw the unconscious Bean lying on the ground, still muttering and chuckling to himself.

"What a weirdo." Cream shook her head. Looking around, she then saw the limping Tails stumbling through the midway. "Ohmygosh, Tails! Are you all right?!" Cream flew over to him, taking him by the arm.

"Oh, Cream. There you are." Tails smiled, barely able to stand up. "Don't worry, I'll be fine, I'm-ugh!"

The fox stumbled, and fell down. in an instant, Cream put her hands on his shoulders to heal him. The two were enveloped in a light, and Tails's cuts and wounds faded away. As the fox's strength and vigor returned, Cream fell beside him, nearly unconscious.

"Oh, Cream! Why did you do that again?" Tails sighed, holding the weakened rabbit up. "I could have healed on my own!"

"Tails, I couldn't stand to see you hurt, especially after you and the others came here to help me." Cream whispered, fighting through her exhaustion. "Ugh... why did those big meanies have to attack two cute little kids like us?"

"Uhhh, actually Cream... by mobian maturity standards, you and I are teens. And sonic and Amy are young adults." Tails ginned jokingly, trying to comfort the exhausted rabbit. "You just act like that because you grew up sheltered by Vanilla. You're no little girl, Cream... you're a lady."

"Oh, Miles." Cream laughed, right before she passed out. "You say the sweetest... things..."

"Chao Chao!" Cheese pleaded plaintively, as Tails held the brave little bunny tightly.

On the other side of the park, Nack open fire with a whole barrage of bullets, trying to kill his opponents. Amy Rose spun and flipped around to avoid the bullets, while taking swing after swing with her hammer. The Weasel easily jumped and spun out of the way of the blows, avoiding a very painful Piko piko slam. As they continued to battle, Nack finally spoke up;

"Hey, I knows who you are, goily." The weasel snarled, avoiding another hammer blow. "Youse are that girl from the hedgehog village the boys and I burned down about a year back!"

"You jerks killed my mother!" Amy shrieked, dodging several bullets shot her way. "You three destroyed my family, and my entire life!"

"Oh yeah, your mom was Rosie the Rascal... the pink hedgehog who was a shaman." Nack smiled. "Youse know, my daddy, Fang the sniper, loved visiting that village when I was a tyke... got real friendly with her." He stared at Amy Darkly. "Youse knows what that makes us, goily?"

Getting Nack's implication, Amy's face twisted into a snarled rage. "YOU SON OF A BI-AHHHHH!" Amy was cut off, as several bullets grazed her right arm. Glaring at Nack angrily, she ran into a nearby mirror fun house to escape.

"Youse can't get away from me, goily!" Knack snapped, reloading his pistol. "I'm the best tracker on' all of mobius!"

The weasel followed her into the funhouse searching around through all the mirriors for the pink hedgehog. "Come out, come out, wherever youse are!"

"How dare you lie about my mother like that!" Amy Rose snarled. "What you are saying is impossible!"

"Youse know very well any two types of mobian can hook up, goily, and the kids are alwys ethier the spieces of one parent or the other." Realizing his taunting wasn't working, Nack changed tactics. "Hey, how's about you and that blue hedgehog the doc wuz goin' on and on about? Anything between you two?" Nack grinned again. "How good is he in the sack, goily?"

"He's a heck of a lot better than you'd ever be, you weasel freak!" Her voice echoed through the mirrors, making her difficult for him to find. "You are a fool, Nack the weasel, following a mystic into a hall of mirrors. This is my domain, and now... you are my plaything."

Suddenly, Amy appeared next to him, and Nack opened fire, shattering a mirror. Then she appeared again, and again he destroyed a mirror with a bullet. Again and again she appeared in the mirrors all around him, and again and again he opened fire, and destroyed them. Then, to Nack's surprise, his own FATHER appeared in a mirror next to him, and began taunting the weasel.

"What's wrong with you, boy?!" Fang the Sniper snarled accusingly. "You ain't no son of mine boy, a disgrace to the weasel family!"

"Shut up!" Knack yelled angrily, shooting the mirror out. "I was never good enough for you! Never!"

"Don't be so hard on him, pa! Nack has always been a loser!" His sister, Nic the Weasel, appeared in another mirror to taunt him. "That's why he iddn't stay with me as a bounty hunter, and ran off with that idiot mute polar bear, and that psycho duck!"

"Shut up SHUT UP!" Nack screamed, shooting the mirrors out. "You always hated me Nic! Always!"

"You are a failure, Nack the Weasel! A disgrace to your kind!" Rosy the rascal appeared in a mirror, the blood of when knack shot her still spattered across her dress. "That is why you lie about me, and killed everyone in my village. Because you are so weak, you have to prey on the helpless."

All the images appeared in the mirrors, and started laughing at him all at once. "Loser...failure...loser...failure...loser... failure...HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"SHUUUUUUUUUT UUUUUUUUUUP!" He screamed, going on a shooting frenzy. He blew away mirror after mirror, blowing out every glass mirror in the place with every round in his gun. When his emepty pistol began to click with no more bullets, and he had no more cartridges to reload, Amy quickly rushed forward, slamming him on the head with her Piko piko hammer, and knocking him unconscious.

"That's for may mother, and the rest of my family, you snake of a weasel." Still enraged, he raised her hammer over her head to crush his skull... then lowered it, staring down at the unconscious Nack.

"But one thing I am, is not like you." Gabbing his belt, she dragged him back out of the fun house,. "After this is over, you can spend the rest of your life rotting ion a mobian prison."

Soon, Amy and tails had gathered the three hooligans together, and had them tied up in the center of the park. As they waited for Cream to wake up, they saw an unfamiliar figure in an old-style dress landing on an extreme gear hoverboard nearby, and start coming towards them.

"Who's that?" Tails asked, as he took a fighting stance. "Another Eggman lackey?"

"I don't know." Amy replied, taking her own stance with her hammer. "But be ready!"

As soon as the figure got close enough, they saw she looked almost like an older version of Cream. Seeing the unconscious little bunny on the ground behind them, the new arrival screamed out. "MY BABY!"

Both Tails and Amy lowered their weapons, letting a distraught Vanilla Rabbit through to hold her little child.


	11. Chapter 11

** Chapter ten: empowered  
**

"Load up the last of the supplies into the flying battery." Robotnik ordered the Egg Robos. "It's time for us to get out of here."

As the robots loaded up all the raw materials and resources that the mad scientist had stripped from the island, Robotnik mused over how much he had accomplished since his arrival here. He had learned much from the echidna's ancient texts and writings Vanilla had already translated, and he had stripped free every mineral and energy source on the island while Knuckles and those stupid heroes had been running around all over the island. The last echidna and the Hooligans had severed their purpose in distracting Sonic and his friends, and now there were only a few loose ends to tie up.

Picking up his communicator, Dr. Robotnik spoke into the device. "Attention all units, prepare to board flying battery for return to Metropolis zone. I shall personally be handling one final personal mission myself."

As the last of the robots boarded the giant flying fortress, Robotnik headed over to a secret project he had been working on ever since he landed on the island. Pulling the sheet off of his creation, he revealed a large humanoid robot, that was built and painted to look like a mecha version of the mad scientist himself. Climbing into the cockpit, Dr. Robotnik pressed buttons and switches to activate the massive machine.

"Ahhh, my death egg robot is working perfectly." A smile spread across Robotnik's face. "Time to claim _my_ crown jewel."

...

After Vanilla had found them in Balloon park, Sonic's friends had made their way to the hidden Palace, where they had met up with Knuckles and Sonic. After Cream, Sonic, and Knux had all woken up, everyone compared notes, and all came to the conclusion that Robotnik had been responsible for all of their problems.

"I am so sorry for not realizing you were in distress, Lady Vanilla." Knuckles apologized, bowing to the rabbit. "I deeply apologize to you and your daughter for this tragedy."

"That's all right, Knuckles." Vanilla replied politely, curtsying in return. "You were upset about what happened to your tribe, that's understandable."

"And you, Sonic the hedgehog, I am truly sorry I attacked you without provocation." Knuckles nodded towards him. "I also deeply apologize for my tribe's killing of Longclaw. We misread the prophecy, and we made a horrible mistake."

Knuckles looked at his outstretched hand, and stared at the last echidna intently.

"I am not ready to forgive your tribe for killing my mother, Knuckles, not yet." Sonic then reached out, and shook his hand. "But I am ready to forgive you, man. You were a kid when that happened, and I shouldn't blame you for your people's mistake."

Knuckles smiled, and patted him on the back. "I'll take that as a start."

"What we need to do now, though, is stop Eggman." Tails replied, looking at his tracker. "It looks like the Flying battery is departing the island, and heading back to Metropolis Zone through a ring portal."

"Good riddance to him, then." Amy Rose spat on the floor in contempt. "He's caused us all enough pain. We already have Vanilla back, so the sooner he is gone, the better."

Just then, a loud crashing sound came from the master Emerald chamber of the hidden palace, followed by the sound of thrusters pulling away from the building, Knuckles quickly dashed to the room, followed quickly by the others. When he arrived, the last of the Echidna's worst fears were realized.

"The master emerald... it's gone!" Knuckles wailed, falling to his knees. "My people's greatest treasure, taken by that traitorous fiend, Robotnik!"

"This is terrible! If the emerald is gone for a full hour, Angel Island will fall out of the sky, and tumble into the sea!" Vanilla suddenly looked up at the mural, and then looked back at the blue blur. "Sonic, the time has come for you to fulfil the prophecy... the time has come for you to save the master emerald, and defeat Dr. Eggman."

"What, me?" The blue blur asked in disbelief. "I mean, I'm totally cool with taking on Eggman, but why can't the whole gang take him out?"

"No, Sonic... she's right." Amy closed her eyes, falling back on her sixth sense. "You're supposed to do this... and this will be your biggest challenge yet."

"Another prophecy? Are you sure he should follow that blindly?" Tails pointed out skeptically. "Isn't that what caused Sonic all this grief in the first place?"

"How dare you?!" Knuckles snarled at him. "These are they sacred prophecies of my people! How dare you question them?!"

"No, there was nothing wrong with the prophecy. It was how it was misread and misused." Sonic pointed out, looking up at the mural. "I have faith in Amy, and her visions and prophecies. But I will use them as a guide for my path, not follow them blindly. I will make my own decisions, and follow my own instincts." He looked between Knuckles and Tails. "Neither prophecies -nor skepticism- will make my decisions for me. I make my own choices, and I choose to stop Eggman, before he can use the power of the master emerald to hurt people." He looked back at Vanilla. "What do I have to do?"

"Well..." Vanilla replied, looking up at the mural. "According to the prophecy, there are some things you are going to need..."

...

After Vanilla told them what they would need, Knuckles led them out of the hidden palace, to a pair of lamp-like poles with blue orbs on top that were sticking out of the ground.

"These are the star posts, the Echidnas use them like the rest of you use warp rings." Knuckles spun the posts around, so they stood straight up, and a portal opened up. "We can use this to get to the Special Zone, so you don't have to waste rings."

With a final nod, the six of them walked through the portal, and entered the special zone.

Following the signals on the trackers Tails handed out to them, the mobians spread out, and began to search for the chaos emeralds. Responding to their subconscious, the zone shifted and created different Challenges for them to earn the emeralds. Vanilla rolled around through a tilting maze, collecting warp rings and trying to maneuver through the labyrinth to get one ring. Tails ran though and endless tube, avoiding mines, and trying to catch an emerald that was constantly moving away from him. Tails was forced to solve a complex puzzle, collecting blue spheres to obtain another emerald. While Sonic ran along an endless track, trying to catch a satellite that was running away, holding a chaos emerald in its robotic claw. The others completed similar challenges to obtain their emeralds, and soon they were all back at the star posts, at the exact moment they had left.

"Put the chaos emeralds in a circle around Sonic." Vanilla stated, looking at one of the ancient Echidna texts. "Then let us watch a miracle occur."

As soon as Sonic stepped into the circle of chaos emeralds, the stones began to glow, rising from the floor. The seven stones began to spin in a circle around Sonic, and a bright light enveloped the hedgehog. The color quickly drained from the seven emeralds as the blue blur absorbed their power, and they all shot off back to the special zone to recharge, after a mental command from Amy.

"This power..." Sonic thought to himself, his thoughts projecting to the others like spoken words. "I've never felt anything like this before..."

"Look at mister Sonic!" Cream exclaimed, staring at the hedgehog. "He's glowing a bright gold!"

"Holy smokes!" Tails said in shock, as his scanner shorted out from analyzing the golden blur. "He's gone... Super Sonic!"

Sonic looked at all of them for a moment, before looking out a nearby window. Flushed with incredible power, Sonic took off after the fleeing Robotnik, determined to get the master emerald back.


	12. Chapter 12

** Chapter eleven: ending  
**

Having captured the master emerald, Dr. Robotnik flew the death egg robot away from angel island. Departing into the clouds, the gigantic robot carrying the master emerald in its chest cavity was powered up by the giant gemstone. As he headed upwards towards Mobius's stratosphere, he noticed an object approaching his mech on the radar.

"Hmmm, unidentified bogey approaching at top speed. " Robotnik mused, adjusting his scope. "And judging from the energy readings, FAR more powerful than all the chaos emeralds combined!"

Looking into his monitor, the mad scientist was totally shocked to see Sonic, gold colored and flying like a jet, racing towards his colossal mech.

"How in the world did that horrid hedgehog get up here?!" Robotnik shrieked in a panic. "And how did he become so powerful?!"

As the golden hedgehog raced towards the death egg robot, Robotnik fired several missiles at Super Sonic. The projectiles simply exploded on the golden hedgehog, failing to even graze his skin. Sonic hit the giant mecha like a comet, smashing a dent in its near-indestructible hull. Robontik swung the giant robot's fist at Super Sonic. But while he managed to knock the golden hedgehog back, Super Sonic was right back on the Death Egg robot, punching dents and dings into the mecha's hull.

"He-he's just toying with me! My attacks aren't doing anything!" Robotnik panicked ,before calming down and slowly smiling. "Well, at least I can use the power of the master emerald to try to take him down!"

Robotnik pushed a button, and charged up the master emerald's power into the mecha. The death egg robot fired its eye beams at Super Sonic,, knocking him backward, and almost out of the sky. But the golden hedgehog came flying back at Robotnik, smashing the missiles and bombs Robotnik launched, and shaking off the massive laser beams fired from its fingertips.

_"You're not getting away this time, Eggman." _Sonic said, his thoughts projected into words. "_Return the master emerald to angel island, and I may spare your life."_

"Never!" Robotnik snarled defiantly. "This gemstone is MINE! It's power will allow me to conquer TWO WORLDs!"

Robotnik tried to flee from the battle, firing his booster rockets to build up enough speed to activate his ring portal back to Metropolis Zone. But Super Sonic was having none of it, chasing the mecha down and slamming into it with a spin dash. Super Sonic and the mech started smashing each other with titanic punches, flashes of lighting and pearls of thunder booming from their fists. The two entered a fierce battle in the atmosphere, lighting up the skies all over mobius.

In the Mobian Outback, Machopper the Kangaroo watched the skies in awe. "Blimey, what goin' on up there? Looks like some kinda bloomin' fireworks display!"

In the Great Canyon region, Chief Lupe and her tribe, the Wolf Pack, watched the flashes and thunder, knowing that something was going on overhead. "I sense the battle between good and evil is being waged in the skies high above us." Lupe muttered to her wolf warriors.

And in the Vesuvio of region Mobius, a flock of Dragons watched the flashes and high above them with interest.

"Do you think that could be two dragons up there, mom?" A young dragon named Dulcy asked her mother. "That fight looks so fierce!"

"I don't think so, dear." The mother, a dragoness named Sabina, replied. "Now let's fly low, we don't want to get involved with whatever is going on up there."

Back in the skies, Super Sonic finally dodged one of the death egg robot's punches, and dove in for the kill. The golden Hedgehog began ripping pieces and panels off of the robot, slowly tearing the mecha to pieces. "NO!" Robotnik screamed. Pressing a button, he unleashed the full power of the master emerald beam on Super Sonic, hitting him dead center will the full force of the blast.

"DIE, YOU STUPID SPIKED RAT!" Robotnik roared in anger, as the green energy beam enveloped Super Sonic. "WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE ALREADY!?"

Inside the very heart of the beam, Super Sonic groaned in agony, as he tried to stay in the air. The power of the master emerald and the power of the Chaos emeralds in Sonic struggled against each other, like a positive and negative charge repelling one another. Swimming against the awesome power of the death egg robot's mighty blast, Super Sonic forcibly pushed his way against the sheer power of the beam. Slowly making his way towards the heart of the mecha, the golden hedgehog felt like his whole body was being torn apart.

_"From the first moment you discovered me and my power, Ivo Robotnik, you desired to possess it."_ Super Sonic thought aloud_ "So here, I'll give you a sample of my true power!"  
_

Finally reaching the heart of the mecha, Super Sonic reached out and grabbed the master emerald. Everything was engulfed in a great light, as Robotnik wailed one last time;

"I HATE THAT HEDGEHOOOOOOOOOOOOG!"

*BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!*

A great light lit up the entire mobian sky, as the explosion vaporized the death egg robot. As the light died down, the form of super Sonic emerged, holding the giant master emerald in both hands, along with the unconscious Robotnik on top of the giant gemstone, as he slowly flew back down to Angel island below.

...

At the metropolis zone, the flying battery and it's shipment of raw materials and supplies stripped from angel island came in for a safe landing in one of the docking bays. The idiot trio- Scratch Grounder and Coconuts, who had been left behind to watch over Robotnik's home base- were overseeing the Swatbots and egg robos unloading the shipment, when a flash of light engulfed the room. Super Sonic came through a warp ring, carrying Dr. Robotnik over his shoulder, before dumping the defeated mad scientist onto the flight deck before the startled robots.

"Doc, Doc! Are You okay?" Scratch asked, running up to Robotnik. "Something's wrong with him!"

"Yous miserable hedgehog!" Coconuts growled. "What did ya do to the doc?!"

Robotnik simply lay there on the floor muttering to himself. "...the Eggman... I am the Eggman, ha ha..." Happily singing the old 60's rock song in a crazy, incoherent voice.

"_He lost our last battle, and the final explosion of chaos energy drove him fully mad._" Sonic through aloud, heading back through the ring portal. _"He is no longer a threat to anyone in this state, so I leave him in your care, and the care of his other Robotic creations. None of you are to ever leave the Metropolis Zone again, is that clear?" _

"G-got it, mister hedgehog." Grounder muttered fearfully, his bolts shaking at the sight of Super Sonic. "W-whatever you say."

Sonic went back through the ring portal, reverted to normal sonic, and collapsed to the ground.

"Huh, I guess the transformation only does last about twenty minutes..." he muttered, before slipping into unconsciousness.

...

A few days later, and Sonic had quickly recovered, and the six heroes celebrated their victory over the mad scientist. For the next several days, Sonic and the others helped to clean up angel island, removing the last traces of Dr. Robotnik's stay on the island. Tails using the Tornado to deliver the Hooligans to the mobian authorties down on the surface,and Sonic and the others helped with repirs to the buildings and other structures. The others were curious about the final battle with Eggman, to which Sonic would only reply;

"Being Super Sonic... having the power of all the Chaos emeralds inside me... it was pretty intense." Sonic told them. "But I don't think I want to do that again anytime soon."

"According to the ancient texts, only one of the seven Chosen emerald protectors can bear the power of the full chaos magic in their body- or, 'go super', as you say." Vanilla explained, looking at one of the Echidna parchments. "You had better only do that in the direst emergencies, Sonic, or the transformation could kill you." She looked around at the others. "Any one of you."

As Sonic and his friends readied to board the Tornado and return to earth, Vanilla and Cream surprised them by wanting to return to the planet with them.

"I have learned all I can from the ancient texts on this island, and I can't study echidna tribal culture with only one echidna left." Vanilla explained. "I think I would like to study human culture for a while... maybe write a thesis paper about the species for mobius university."

"Besides, as one of the emerald chosen, it's not safe for me to stay on mobius anymore." Cream muttered politely. "Besides, mama says you guys need somebody to look after you back on earth, and she's just the mama rabbit to do it."

"Great, it's Tom and Maddie all over again." Sonic Grumbled to himself, not wanting to admit he missed having his two human friends around. "What about you Kncklehead? Are you coming, too?"

"Thank you for your kind offer, but I must remain here on Ángel Island." The echidna explained. "I am now guardian of the master emerald, and it is now my duty to watch over the emerald and the island, for the rest of my days."

"Actually, I think we can work something out with that." A voice that sounded like the human actor Sean Connery spoke up. Suddenly, Star Post portal opened, and an elderly echidna in a robe and carrying a staff stepped through it.

"Great-grandfather Athiar!" Knuckles immediately dropped to his knees. "You have returned to us!"

The elder echidna looked to Knuckles, adjusting his spectacles. "Knuckles, it is your duty to remain here and watch over the emerald. But you also need to get out and experience the worlds, both mobius and earth. So I will permit you periods of 'vacation' where you may spend time with your new friends, and go on adventures. And I will remain here, watching over the master emerald while you are gone."

"Oh, thank you, great-grandfather!" Knuckles bowed to him. "I promise I will not disappoint you!"

"Well, now that we got that settled, let's make our way home!" Sonic exclaimed. "It's up... over.. and gone!"

As the others celebrated, Tails and Amy looked at each other.

"So how do you think Agent Snively is going to react to our little family growing?" Tails asked Amy.

"I foresee much paperwork and explaining to his superiors for our poor G.U.N. agent." Amy replied with a laugh.

And as the sun set over Angel island, the tornado made it's first trip of transporting our heroes- and some of their new friends- home to earth.

-THE END-


End file.
